Reasons for William's victory in 1066
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the reasons for William’s victory.
Key learning points
- William was an experienced and organised military leader who held his army together in the summer of 1066.
- Harold was an experienced military leader who was weakened by fighting at Stamford Bridge.
- The English troops had a varied skill level which held an effective shield wall that eventually broke.
- The Norman troops had a mix of professional skills which used a retreat tactic to break the English line.
- Historians recognise there were multiple reasons for William's victory at Hastings.
Keywords
Turning point - a turning point is the time at which a situation starts to change in an important way
Logistically - the term logistically is used to describe the effective organisation of a complicated activity or event
Strategic - being strategic is doing things which help to achieve a wider plan, for example, in war or politics
Tactic - a tactic is a planned way of doing something, or a specific action intended to achieve a wider strategy/plan
Common misconception
Sending the fyrd defences home in September is evidence of Harold's poor decision making.
In fact, Anglo-Saxon leaders had always struggled with the 60-day limit for the fyrd. Harold had actually kept the fyrd out for twice as long as usual: evidence of his impressive influence as a leader.
Teacher tip
Use a map of England and France to trace the routes taken by William and Harold’s armies. Students should list the logistical challenges they faced, troop organisation and tactics. Have students identify the key turning points towards William's victory at the Battle of Hastings.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A is a military tactic where soldiers stood in a long line overlapping their shields to form a wall of shields.
Q2.A is when soldiers pretend to draw back in order to lure the enemy into a more vulnerable position.
Q3.What had prevented Duke William of Normandy and his army from invading England since the beginning of August?
Q4.Where was Harold Godwin when Duke William of Normandy and his army set sail across the English Channel?
Q5.Who was at the centre of the Norman army formation?
Q6.Starting with the earliest, sort these events into the order in which they happened.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The time at which a situation starts to change in an important way is known as a .
Q2.A planned way of doing something, or a specific action intended to achieve a wider strategy/plan, is known as a .
Q3.How might a possible lack of discipline in the fyrd have contributed to William's victory?
Q4.What tactic requiring a high level of skill did the Norman troops use to break the English shield wall?
Q5.How did William demonstrate his patience and strategic leadership in the summer of 1066?
Q6.Which of the following were strengths of the Norman army?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Reasons for William's victory in 1066, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Reasons for William's victory in 1066, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the British Depth Study: Norman England, c1066–c1100 unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.